EQ-5D-5L Questionnaire in Quality of Life Evaluation of Post Surgical Lumbosacral Degenerative Spine Patient at Chiangmai Neurological Hospital

Abstract

Background: Degenerative lumbar spine diseases (herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis) can be evaluated using patient-reported outcome measures. Commonly used assessments include SF-36, ODI, and the EQ-5D-5L, which are standard worldwide. The EQ-5D-5L has been translated into Thai, but its use in evaluating spinal disease treatment in Thailand has not been studied. Objective: To study the use of the EQ-5D-5L (Thai version) in patients with degenerative lumbosacral spine diseases who underwent surgery at Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital. Methods: A study of 100 patients who completed the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire before surgery and six months after surgery. The scores were compared and reported descriptively. The EQ-5D-5L consists of five health questions (5 dimensions), each dimension has five levels of severity from no problem to extreme problems. Results: From the five health dimensions, almost all patients (> 90%) had scores in every dimension, with the highest being pain/discomfort. The Health Utility Index (HUI) scores were calculated, showing that patients treated with steroid injection had mean HUI scores of 0.54±0.21 before surgery and 0.70±0.22 after surgery. Patients who underwent decompression surgery had mean HUI scores of 0.38±0.29 before surgery and 0.82±0.15 after surgery. Patients who underwent decompression with pedicle screws had mean HUI scores of 0.35±0.29 before surgery and 0.79±0.15 after surgery. Conclusion: The EQ-5D-5L is comprehensive in assessing symptoms of patients with degenerative lumbosacral spine diseases. The scores indicate that patients had improved quality of life after surgery. The EQ-5D-5L scores can be reported as an international standard.